This is a very cool tip from Lifehacker reader David Dean: The next time you find yourself in sore need of a dry erase board that isn't one of the two boring white models in all the stores around town, hit up a supply store like Lowes and get yourself a sheet of Lexan. It costs less than $4, and you can put it just about anywhere since it's transparent.

If you want to make a free-standing model, you can follow David's lead and drill the sheet to allow for a U-bolt to be mounted to it. The bolt weighs enough, and is large enough, to act as a stand. U-bolts usually cost less than $2, even for bigger ones.